Do You Believe in Parallel Universes?
by unfinishedstorylines
Summary: Chalant one shot, AU coffeeshop Dick finally has a conversation with the barista at his regular coffeshop


Dick Grayson spent most of his days in a little coffee shop across from Gotham University called _"A Touch of Magic"_ Everyday he would sit in the same table at the corner of the shop next to the window that had a perfect view of the bustling streets outside. It could have been morning, mid day, or night and Dick would be in the same spot having a meeting, working on the next file for Wayne Technology, or working with Barbara, Tim or even on the rare occasion, Bruce himself. The coffee shop was owned by Zatanna Zatara, who was almost always the barista at all times, Dick never really made any conversation with the young woman, even though he acknowledged her beauty; most of the time he would say good morning, afternoon, evening, or night to her, smile, nod and take his seat. One Wednesday night Dick and Barbara were working on a proposal for the Mr. Wayne, it was a long night for both of them, he had already shot down multiple other proposals and this was the last shot before measures would be taken. Barbara had to leave before it got too dark, so at nine o clock, the only two left in the coffee ship were Dick and Zatanna.

Zatanna has been through this before, for some reason Dick enjoys using the coffee shop as his fortress of solitude, she didn't mind, and she usually was silent about it. But something was different this Wednesday night, and something, even greater than her magic, possessed her to talk to the brooding young man in the corner of her shop. She silently made her way to him as she was cleaning and setting up every table for the next morning rush. When she finally approached the corner, which all the regulars at her shop seemed to accept was his corner, she made herself say an actual, full coherent sentence to the intimidating man as her heart pounded out of her chest.

"I know we close at one, but you should really take a break, you look like you're going to go crazy" Ans he was, his hair was disheveled and his eyelids could barley stay up long enough for him to keep focus. Dick immediately recognised the voice to be the barista and smiled, it was soothing, and somehow, even though he didn't know the woman, she made him feel a bit calmer about the situations in his life. So he turned his head up and exchanged a smile with her then chuckled as a shade of pink escaped his cheeks.

"The name's Dick Grayson" he said standing up ready to shake hands with the young woman, he is always a very proper man, he never introduces himself without shaking the other person's hand, okay sometimes he did, okay most of the times he did, but he wanted a reason to feel her touch. Of course the magician was too confident in herself to just ignore the option to handshake and the raven haired woman smiled and started to put her hair up in a bun.

"And mine is Zatanna Zatara" It was only in that moment where he realised who his barista truly was, he's heard of her, or at least her father before. During his teenage years, when he was on the team, he remembers that shortly after they found the Helmet of Fate, Zatara stepped up as the body for Nabu after a rumour that Nabu was seeking his daughter to be the next holder of the helmet. She _must_ be his daughter, she was supposed to join the team before that incident, he even remembers Batman telling him of what an asset a magician would be, but he guess it never happened after her father became Doctor Fate. Was Dick to tell her who he was? He was torn on whether or not to reveal his former alter ego, but her next sentence solved that problem.

"I see you have Wayne Tech. papers, when I was little my father used to be friends with _the_ Bruce Wayne himself" She managed to put on a smile even though thinking of her father was always a touchy subject for her. Dick smiled,_ figured the Bat would tell his secret identity to her and her father_, he even remembers Bruce offered up the idea of Zatara's daughter moving into the manor, but it never happened.

Dick found himself stuttering what to say next, he didn't know how much the young woman knew about _him_ and his _hobbies_. He kinda just looked at her and smiled awkwardly and put his hand behind his head and sighed.

"Don't worry _Robin_, I'm not telling anyone" she said smiling as she walked to the next table to clean off. Dick immediately got up, dismayed, and took the young woman's arm.  
- "Have you known this whole time?" At this point they were both smiling at how stupidly serendipitous this was  
- "Yes Dick Grayson, I have known" It almost seems like she's been through this before, she took the next tray and walked to the sink to wash them, she muttered something and they were magically spotless,_ yep this is the girl, but why is she so open to use her powers in front of him?_  
- He followed her to the sink behind the counter, and his mind was still spinning, like the universe was out of line for a second "Then why haven't you said anything, I've been going to this shop for over a year!" The majestic woman smiled and put her cleaning rag and disinfectant down on the counter and began to mock herself

_"Hi do you remember me? We never really met but my dad is Doctor Fate and your dad set up a trust fund for me when I was 13 and offered me to move into your house, nice to meet you!"_

Dick smiled,_ she certainly wasn't shy after you got her talking_. "Okay, I get it"

The two sat down at the couch for the remainder of the night, Zatanna told him that according to what she's seen, Barbara likes him, but Dick ensured that they've been through it before and there's nothing there. The two reminiscenced about where they were during this attack and that attack, and how they literally missed each other by _minutes_ each time. He himself was surprise to learn that it was Zatanna who freed Jaime Reyes from the mode, this whole time he thought it was Fate, but apparently it was a cover up for Zee to do a mission. Zatanna told him that it was Bruce's help that she was able to open up the coffee shop after she got a business degree at Gotham University, coincidentally the same time Dick got his.

The night soon took a philosophical turn, but the couple have been speaking as if they have known each other for years, and known their deepest fears, personal thoughts, and lives all together.

"Do you ever think about what would have been?" Dick immediately retracted the statement, realizing how creepy it actually sounded "Sorry, I guess I'm trying to be nonchalant" The serene woman smiled as he put her alabaster hands on his

"Why? be as chalant as you like" the two laughed at the little quirk of the English language, even though it evoked a series of deja vu for the both of them.

Dick tried to continue his point "Do you believe in parallel universes?"  
The magician crossed her legs and rolled her eyes "Homo Magi here, I've _been_ to them"  
- He was entranced at the idea of them, he's never been a mystical person and this was all so new "And where are you if your father didn't step up to be Fate"

She chuckled and peered off to the side, cause she knew the answer, he would still become Fate in sacrifice for her.  
- "Well we would have met way back when, but he still became Fate, long story actually"  
Dick hesitated to ask the next part, but he felt like the red string of fate was the strongest it's ever been at that moment  
- "And us?"  
- She sighed and looked into his eyes, he seemed to already know the answer, but she said it anyway "We seemed pretty happy"

* * *

A year from that night, Zatanna still owned the coffee shop, and it was expanded into a wide chain across Gotham. Dick came into the shop at six with Bruce and worked on a merger deal that would expand Wayne Tech, but all the key words were actually referring to Dick's plans for the night and Bruce's reaction, which was ecstatic. At exactly nine Bruce took his cue from Dick to leave, gave a reassuring nod to the magician, and like that, The Dark Night vanished. Zatanna made way to her boyfriend on their one year anniversary, she still wore the same brown apron, had her hair in the same bun, and looked through him with those same blue eyes, in parallel with the night they formally met.

Dick gave her a seductive look "Do you know what tonight is?"  
She took his cup "I do" she winked and walked to the sink to clean the last of the dishes, when she got back Dick was on one knee after he got the answer he hoped for, for what seemed all his life, he brought his fiance into his arms and brought her into a passionate kiss.

He whispered in her ear with his cool voice

-"So how are parallel us doing?"  
- She rolled her eyes like she always did when he asked questions he knew the answer to "Who cares, we're better"


End file.
